Our Newest Musical Favorite

For Christmas, Meredith got the Ziggy Marley "Family Time" CD. It is awesome. I've written on here before about music that the boys like, and it's no coincidence that it is stuff that Kevin and I like, as well. They have plenty of time in their day when they hear nursery rhymes and other "kid" songs. When we're in the van or in the kitchen we play music that the whole family can listen to and this CD definitely fits the bill.

Not only are the songs great, but Ziggy sings duets with many of our favorite singers! Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, Jack Johnson and even Laurie Berkner! The music has the familiar reggae feel, but the lyrics of the songs are geared toward issues children deal with as well and family experiences. For instance, the song "Cry, Cry, Cry" sounds, at first, like a "Redemption Song." As serious-sounding as it is, it somewhat mocks the struggle of a child who isn't understood by his or her parents. One of the lines is Set the Children Free! when they are put in their room under duress. Make me laugh every time I hear it. Because that is my life. Every night.

All the kids--Meredith included!--bop along with the beat and sing the words. No kidding--Charlie, even! It's one of those CDs that you can listen to all the way through and while making its listeners happy, it's also a soothing disc, which is often needed for long car rides.

The CD ends with two stories read by Jamie Lee Curtis. The first one was written by Ziggy called "Helping Hands," the second one is a children's book written by Jamie Lee called "The Human Race." Although they are both good stories, sometimes I wish there was a way to put the songs on repeat, skipping the stories unless we're wanting to listen to them. The CD is enhanced, in that if you put it into your computer and there are activities for the kids to do.

Overall, a great call by Santa! The CD case was sitting out last week when Uncle Billy stopped by and saw it sitting there. He let us know that "Family Time" recently won a Grammy. No surprise to our family!

CD: Wildflowers, Track: 4

Oh, yeah, you wreck me, baby
You break me in two
But you move me, honey
Yes you do

Tom Petty's Wildflowers CD has been playing in our van for about a week now and the boys love it. Lou and Ben have played all the instruments and sang vocals on most songs. For right now, Charlie claps, hits his knees, and sings backup. Baseball bats are guitars or drumsticks, bowls are drums, toy keys shake, they play the piano in the air, and bobbing of the head is mandatory.

Probably the funniest part about it is that as they sing the chorus above they love to say "baby." Sometimes it's "bay-bee" other times it's "bay-bah," but they get really into it, squinting their eyes to show how intense they are. Some would say intensity in ten cities worth.

And then Lou says, "We're rockin' out, aren't we Mom."

Top 10 CDs the Boys Like

There are a lot of CDs we listen to in our house and in the van, but some win out more than others. We have some great CDs that have been burned for us (thank you, Uncle Joe), but I wanted to put a list together of ones that you might be interested in for your family or maybe to give as a gift, because one of the best gifts you can give is music!

10. Garden State Soundtrack : it's a very soothing mix of songs that do a very good job of relaxing the boys--especially during long car rides! A favorite track: (4) "Blue Eyes"
9. ESPN Presents Jock Jams, Vol. 1 : Unfortunately, this CD is no longer with us, but when Kevin and I think back to all the fun we had playing it when Lou and Ben were younger, we laugh. I had to include it on the list. As soon as they heard "Let's Get Ready to Rumble!" they stopped what they were doing and started running around the house giving high fives and whatnot.
8. Disney's Children's Favorite Songs : A great collection of "old fashioned" songs sung by a guy and some kids. A favorite track: (9) "It Ain't Gonna Rain No More"
7. Sharon, Lois, & Bram, Mother Goose & More : Another compilation of old tunes, but this is sung by the famous trio. A favorite track: (31) "If All the Rain Drops"
6. Baby Einstein Traveling Melodies : I put this particular CD, but we do have a couple of the ones BE makes and honestly I can't tell the difference between them, but they do their job: settle a crying baby! I am not sure why it does, but pop this into the CD player when you're driving and can't calm the screaming tot in the back and all of a sudden there's peace and quiet...and it calms you so you don't wreck.
5. Laurie Berkner, Under A Shady Tree : Anyone (having kids or knows kids) who hasn't heard of Laurie Berkner needs to find out who she is and listen to her music. Mainly made up of original songs, she has a funny view of life and sets her thoughts to catchy tunes. A favorite track: (4) "Drive My Car"
4. Johnny Cash, The Essential Johnny Cash : Little kids like Johnny Cash? They sure do. His voice, his guitar, his stories--you can't go wrong. A favorite track: (1 on disc 2) "It Ain't Me Babe."
3. Laurie Berkner, Victor Vito : Another great compilation of her songs. It gets the boys up and dancing around and I think they really like singing they funny lyrics. A favorite track: (8) "BOOTS"
2. Paul Simon, Greatest Hits : An awesome CD, overall. There are so many great songs, and it flows so well, between upbeat and mellow tunes. A favorite of ours: (17) "Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard"
1. Jack Johnson, Curious George Soundtrack : This one will be our top CD because about 8 times out of 10 it will be played to everyone's (including Mommy & Daddy) liking. The songs are fun, and like Paul Simon's, they flow well and so it is easy to listen to the whole CD over and over again.